Drawer locking device



Aug. 9, 1932. J. RITTER, JR

DRAWER LOCKING DEVICE Filed June 12, 1930 :ilEEEEiE-E 1 1 1 1 [Ir H IHHHI HHHHHHHMMHHHHH QM; s LW J w INVEN OR. @164 22/! T TORNEYS Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JULIUS RITTER, 'JR., 0]? RACINE, WISCONSI DRAWER LOCKING DEVICE Application filed June 12, 1930. Serial No. 460,659.

This invention relates to improvements in drawer locking devices, particularly adapted for the drawer sections of wardrobe trunks and the like.

Wardrobe trunks are usually formed in two sections and one of said sections is commonly provided with a series of drawers positioned one above the other. It is essential that provision be made for looking all of the drawers of the-series. Otherwise, in transportation, unsecured drawers will slide back and forth and not maintain their proper positions and articles and apparel contained therein will become disheveled and injured.

It'is, therefore, one of the objects of the present invention to provide, in a drawer equipped trunk, an improved and Simplified means for looking all of the drawers of a series.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trunk drawer locking device in which the majority of the drawers in a series are locked by a locking member, and the remaining drawer is locked by an independent lock, the locking of the remaining drawer serving to prevent access other drawers.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a drawer equipped trunk, a locking means for-some of the drawers which is hidden and is not readily apparent to anyone tampering with the trunk. V

A further object of the invention is to provide a trunk drawer locking device arranged so that when the drawers are in position and are locked, the manipulating member is so confined that it cannot shift'its position due to jostling or bumping of the trunk, whereby the drawers cannot become accidentally unlocked or released.

, A further object of the invention is to provide a trunk drawer locking device which is of very simple and inexpensive construction, is strong and durable, is easily manipulated, and is well adapted for the purpose described.

to the locking means of the .in lever 13.

lVith the above and other objects in View the invention consists of the improved trunk drawer locking device and its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. l is a front view of the drawer-section of a trunk, the upper two drawers being removed;

Fig. 2 is a Vertical sectional view of the drawer section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, only with all of the drawers in place; and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing it will appear that the numeral 5 indicates the drawer section of a wardrobe trunk which is provided with a plurality of drawers 6 positioned one above the other and slidably supported upon angled strips 7 mounted on opposite inner sides of the drawer section. The upper drawer 6 is provided with a lock 8 and a key 9 controlling the same. 7 I A plurality of brackets 10 are mounted medially in a vertical line on the rear inner surface of said drawer section, and extending slidably through said brackets is a vertically movable bar 11. Secured to the forward face of the bar at proper intervals are depending fingers 12 whose depending portions are forwardly or outwardly offset from the face of said bar.

The upper end portion of the bar 11 is forwardly or outwardly ofiset, as at 11, and pivotally attached to said offset portion is the inner end portion of a bell-crank, manipulatc The lower end portion of a short link 14 is pivotally attached to an inner end portion of the bell-crank lever at a point slightly removed from the pivotal connection between said bell-crank lever and the bar 11, as at 15. The upper end portion of the N, ASSIGNOR TO HARTMANN TRUNK COM- 7 seen that the improved drawer locking deshort link 14 is pivotally secured, at 16, to the rear inner surface of the drawer section, said pivot point 16 being substantially in vertical alinement with the bar 11. The major portion of the bell-crank lever 13 is formed along its lower edge with a forwardg projecting, horizontal, relatively wide ange 17.

Each of the drawers 6 has secured to the lower portion of its rear wall, intermediate the sides thereof, a. rearwardly, outwardly projecting complementary lock member or bracket 18. Said brackets 18 are arranged s'o'as to be immediately below and in alinement with the brackets 10 when the drawers are pushed to their innermost positions. Said brackets 18 are adapted to be entered by the fingers 12 on the bar 11, and each bracket 18 is slightly downwardly and inwardly tapered, as seen in Fig. 2.

In use, all of the drawers 6 are pushed to their innermost positions. In unlocked position, the bell crank lever 13 is in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, and to lock said drawers 6 after they have been pushed in- .wardl said bell-crank lever is manually move in a counter-clockwise direction in Fig. 1 from the dotted line position to the full line position. This movement causes a downward vertical movement of the bar 11 sufficient to engage the fingers 12 in the drawer brackets18 to lock said drawers against withdrawal. Due to the slight downward inward taper of the brackets 18, the fingers, on entering the same, will cause a wedging action, to force and firmly hold the drawers in their inner positions. I

. With the bell-crank lever 13 in the full line position last described, the top drawer 6 may then be inserted and the same covers, conceals and prevents access to said manipulating lever for the locking mechanism. Also, because of the fact that the flange 17'of said lever lies in a limited space between the bottom of the drawer 6' and thc top of the adjacent drawer 6, it is prevented from shiftin its position during transportation or handling of the trunk, and releasing the lock mechanism.

, 1 After the insertion of the top drawer 6' the same is independently locked by means of the lock 8 and key 9, and when so locked,

the drawers 6 therebelow cannot, of course, be unlocked and opened. Even though the upper drawer beunlocked, the locking mechanism for the other drawers is hidden, and a person unfamiliar with trunk mechanism cannot readily open said drawers.

From the foregoing description it will be Vice is of very simple construction, and possesses a minimum number of component parts which may be very easlly and quickly installed in a drawer section. The device is furthermore very easy to operate, and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a trunk section having a plurality of drawers positioned one above the other, some of the drawers being formed at their rear ends with complementary locking members, of a locking means for said drawers, comprising a lock for one of said drawers, a bar slidably mounted on the in near surface of the rear of the trunk section and having fingers which lockingly engage the complementary locking members of the drawers s0 equipped, and a flanged leverextending laterally fromsaid bar between rear portions of the lock equipped drawer and an ad acent drawer and movable to unlock said other drawers only when the lock equipped drawer is withdrawn from the trunk section.

2. The combination with a trunk section having a plurality of drawers positioned one above the other, some of the drawers being formed at their rear ends with complementary locking members, of a locking means for lock equipped drawer is withdrawn from the trunk 580131011,

3. The combination with a trunkse'ction having a plurality of drawers positioned one above the other, of a locking means therefor, comprising a lock for the upper drawer, brackets secured to the rear portions of the lower drawers, 2'. bar mount'ed on'the inner surface of the rear of the trunk section and having intermediate fingers which enter said bracketsto lock s'aidrd'rawersin closed position, the bar being longitudinally movable, a link having one end portion pivotally connected to the inner surface of the rear of the trunk section near an'end ofsaid bar, and an operating lever pivotally'isecured to said bar and to said link and extending laterally therefrom beneath the rear 'ed e pork having a plurality of drawers positioned one above the other, of a locking means therefor, comprising a lock for the upper drawer.

brackets secured to the rearportions of the lower drawers, a bar mounted on the inner surface of the rear of the trunk section and having intermediate forwardly ofl'set vdepending fingers secured to its front face, said fingers being arranged to enter said brackets to lock said drawers in closed position, the

bar being longitudinally movable, a link having one end portion pivotally connected to the inner surface of the rear of the trunk section above the upper end ofsaid bar, and a flanged bell-crank, operating lever pivotally secured to the upper end portion of said bar and pivotally secured to said link and extending laterally of the bar beneath the rear edge port? on of the lock equipped drawer and movable to move the bar and fingers only upon the Withdrawal of the lock equipped drawer.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JULIUS BITTER, JR. 

